Announcing huge purge of internal fur industry “Security Alerts”

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To celebrate the surge of recent fur farm raids, Animal Liberation Frontline is posting 30+ fur industry “security alerts” over the next month.

As US fur farmers face a (nearly) unprecedented “security crisis” with 10 raids in 4 months, Animal Liberation Frontline will be posting over 30 internal fur industry security bulletins going back to 2008, including several offering new details on the recent raids.

Background

Over the 4+ years of this site, Animal Liberation Frontline has taken on one role not originally intended: Serving, at times, as an informal “animal rights Wikileaks.” I’ve had the good fortune of being provided dozens and dozens of interesting documents and leaked emails over the years, and it’s this material that I consider the highlight of everything here.

Because the work of the Animal Liberation Front has leaned heavily towards fur, much of these documents have pertained that industry. These have included a leaked letter from a fur farmer describing the aftermath of a raid by the Animal Liberation Front, the much-rumored-of-but-never-seen Fur Commission security manual for fur farmers, and even the minutes for the Fur Commission’s annual meeting in Park City, Utah.

These documents have also included quite a few of the Fur Commission’s “security alerts,” sent by email and fax to fur farmer’s every time there is a security-related matter. This can run the range from news of an ALF action, to warning mink farmers to be on alert because of “radical” speaking events at colleges near fur farms (seriously).

Releasing over 30+ bulletins over the next month

Animal Liberation Frontline has been provided with several dozen of these bulletins, intended only to be seen by fur farmers. Over the next month, I will be posting over 30 of them.

Many of them are of little value beyond a voyeuristic look into the “private” communications of the opposition. And many of them are quite interesting, documenting incidents such as attempted (and unclaimed) raids, fur farmers chasing trespassers, and more.

What are Fur Commission “Security Alerts”?

These bulletins are sent to fur farmers via email and fax by the Fur Commission USA, a trade group for the “farming” side of the fur industry. They represent over 400 mink and fox farms in North America.

The bulletins mostly aim to warn fur farmers of an impending security issue, such as suspicious vehicles seen near farms, the presence of legal animal rights activity (i.e. protests, conferences, etc) occurring in fur farming areas, and more.

Their intended audience is extremely limited. They are only sent to the 400 or so fur farmers on the the Fur Commission’s email list, and possibly a handful of other potential ALF targets (such as feed suppliers).

The audience that was never intended was an audience they will now have: a public one.

Alerts going back to 2008

Over the next month I will be posting every “security bulletin” I’ve been provided, going back to 2008.

Check back daily, or sign up for the email list to receive every post.

Update: Raided mink farm denied permit, expected to close

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Days after every animal was released from a Colorado mink farm, the county rejected its permit to relocate.

On Thursday, the Earth Liberation Front took credit for releasing at least 200 mink from the only known fur farm in Colorado. The farmer immediately announced the farm would have to close.

But there was one wrinkle to the story: The farm was in the process of relocating to a nearby property, and was awaiting approval of a permit to operate there.

Today Moffat county commissioners denied the farm’s permit to relocate.

Because the farm was being forced to move because of its proximity to nearby homes, and the farm has nowhere to move, its future is looking certain: The fur farm appears to be out of business.

Farm likely to shut down anyway

The denial of the permit may be moot, as the farmer announced after Thursday’s raid that he is shutting down the farm:

I won’t be doing the mink anymore. I can’t afford to… get back into it. I’m really tired of fighting.” – mink farm owner Doyle Checketts

Despite shutdown, owner of new location claimed to be going ahead with mink farm

After the announcement the farm would be shutting down, Sherman Romney, the owner of the property where the farm was slated to relocate, told the media he intended to go forward with a fur farm permit. Presumably, he either intended to open a mink farm himself, or find another fur farmer willing to relocate there.

While unclear, whatever plans this property owner had are now officially dead. The county denied the permit, and no one can legally operate a mink farm on the property.

The end

We will post any confirmed updates as we learn of them, but for now the conclusion to this story appears to be this: Animal liberators raided the only (known) fur farm in Colorado, and shut it down forever.

VICTORY: Colorado mink farm raided, forced to close

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Owner announces the farm will close after every animal is released at a small Colorado mink farm.

“I won’t be doing the mink anymore. I can’t afford to… get back into it. I’m really tired of fighting.” – mink farm owner Doyle Checketts

In a communique received by Bite Back, the Earth Liberation Front claimed responsibility for releasing 200 mink Thursday night from the only known fur farm in Colorado. The owner of the farm immediately announced the farm would shut down.

“We’re done. I’m too old to start again.” – farm owner Doyle Checketts

Existence of farm first made public just 3 days ago

The raid comes just 72 hours after the existence of the farm was first made public in an article headlined “Moffat County mink farm relocation proposal causing a stink.” The article, published Tuesday, covered resistance to the farm’s attempt to expand on a new property. Prior to the article, there were no known fur farms in the state.

While the article did not list the farm’s address, it did offer several clues to the farm’s location, including the name of it’s owner. This raid is a testimony to both the investigative ability and quick action of animal liberators, who located a farm within 72 hours with only a name, and then shut it down.

The communique revealed the exact address to be 622 Valley View Drive in rural Moffat County, 8 miles west of Craig, Colorado.

Address of future mink farm location also revealed

The ELF also determined the property where the farm had applied to relocate, and published it in their communique as:

35591 North Hwy 13
Craig CO

The owner of this property, James Gore, states he still intends to open a mink farm on this property, despite the closure of the farm that was attempting to relocate there.

With the Animal Liberation Front (and Earth Liberation Front) so quick to raid newly discovered farms, and the ELF publicizing this address in their communique, the odds are very much against James Gore in opening this farm without intervention from animal liberators.

A quarter of the mink remain free

While figures directly from fur farmers are never to be trusted, the owners reported that 50 of the 200 mink remain free as of Friday.

Losses estimated at $250,000

The raid caused a massive amount of financial damages for a release of only 200 animals. While the value of their pelts was estimated at only $10,000, the farmer had a contract to sell the breeding stock to a Danish company for $250,000. Because the breeding stock have intermixed with non-breeding stock, and the farmer can no longer tell them apart, he is unable to sell them as breeding stock and is out a quarter of a million dollars.

Fur farm siege continues

This hugely successful raid comes after 9 previous fur farm raids in four months, the biggest surge of activity since the 1990s. The last animal release occurred in early October, when a lone activist took credit for releasing 450 mink from a farm in Minnesota. Additional liberations took place in Montana, Idaho, Utah, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

The takeaway

With only a name in a newspaper article to work with, courageous individuals were able locate a mink farm in less than three days, and shut it down in one night.

The communique

“On the night of November 14th, the Earth Liberation Front visited the previously unknown Colorado mink farm of Monte Ages, located at 622 Valley View Drive in Moffat County. This is one of the smallest mink farms in operation, so opening nearly every cage took very little time. The mink understood our mission and quite literally flew to the ground to make a dash for freedom. To cause the deranged Mr. Ages more financial trouble, breeding cards were removed and strewn about, and thrown in the piles of mink waste.

Michael Whelan will offer the same tired lies in response to this action. He advises farmers to ‘sympathize with the poor, lost animals.’ The lost wild animals who are now able to move freely, who will no longer be subject to Michael and his friends preferred methods of execution in the pelting season just two weeks away.

The truth is that mink are not domesticated. They are captive bred, and only for the quality of their pelts. Mink are aquatic animals who are solitary in the wild and travel several miles per day. The surrounding area of Moffat County is pristine wildlife habitat. The ones who escaped this wildlife prison will now live out their lives along the Little Snake and Yampa Rivers.

Mr. Ages has plans to move and expand his operation to 35591 North Hwy 13 in the town of Craig. This will not be tolerated. Your dreams of despoiling Northwest Colorado, contaminating our drinking water, and exploiting native american wildlife will turn into a nightmare. There will be consequences when darkness falls.

We send a salute to those courageous few who continue to fight alongside the earth and animals, even as your work is overshadowed by the bloggers, video editors, and all manner of self-aggrandizing activists.”

Curious fires hit four key fur industry targets since 2011

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A look at four fires at key fur industry targets in a 22-month period.

In an industry as small as the fur industry, four “accidental” fires at key targets could be seen as statistically curious.

While there was preliminary (non-arson) explanations for each fire, four things make these incidents worthy of a closer look:

• There were four large fires in under two years, in an industry with a supply-side number of approximately 350 targets.
• Each fire hit a significant target, including the largest mink farm and largest mink feed supplier.
• Each had a preliminary cause classified as “accidental,” however final determinations were never reported.
• Two of the fires occurred in same area and at the same time as several other fur farm raids.

The four fires

Utah Fur Breeder’s Cooperative, December 2011

A fire broke out at the plant just south of Salt Lake City around 10:30 am. This facility is believed to be the largest mink feed supplier in the country. Of the four fires, the preliminary explanation seems the most credible, with the likely cause reported as sparks from a welder’s torch. The building was a total loss, and was condemned by building inspectors after the fire.

Lion Farms, Nottingham IN, May 2012

Fire swept through an empty mink shed at this rural Indiana fur farm in May, 2012. Most curious about this incident is that evidence indicates this farm had only opened just prior to the fire. In fact, the farm may not have been fully operational, and was probably still in the process of being filled with animals (the company literally flew mink from the Netherlands to Indiana to populate the farm). Other sheds on the property were reported to have held animals, while the burned shed did not.

Lion Farms is owned by a Dutch firm, who opened two fur farms (that are known of) in the US after a fur farm ban in their home country. The fire appeared to happen very early in their migration to the US. Any attack to head off their foothold in the US market could be considered very strategic.

Since this fire, Lion Farms opened a second farm in Ohio. Curiously, this farm was also raided by activists in September, when 300 mink were released.

The fire was suspected to have been started by embers from a trash can fire.

Sonnenberg Mink Farm, Detroit Lakes MN, October 2013

A spark from an incinerator was speculated to have set off a fire at this large mink farm last month. The fire occurred just a few days after 250 mink were released from another Minnesota fur farm. The building was a total loss, and damages were estimated at over $1 million.

While it is uncertain, at 50,000 mink this farm is likely to be the largest fur farm in Minnesota. Comparing satellite images of Minnesota farms also lends probability to this being the largest.

Zimbal Minkery, Oostburg WI, October 2013

Just over two weeks ago, a fire broke out in storage building at the Zimbal Minkery. This is the largest fur farm in the country, with over 200,000 mink.

2,000 mink were released from another Wisconsin farm the same month.

No speculation of any cause was reported.

Largest mink farm in the country is currently on fire

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Updated 1:59 PST

A storage barn at the Zimbal Minkery is reportedly on fire as of noon, Monday. This story is still breaking, but here’s what is known:

• A pole barn is currently on fire at the farm, located at 6438 Abraham Court in Oostburg, WI; just outside of Sheboygan.
• This farm is the largest fur farm in the country, with over 200,000 mink.
• Early reports say it is a sawdust fire that has caused an estimated $2,000 damage to one of the barn walls and about $20,000 to $30,000 in damage to equipment.
• This is the second large mink farm in a two-state area to go up in flames in the past two weeks. On October 12th, a processing building at the Sonnenberg Mink Farm in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota went up in flames. No animals were hurt. It is believed the farm is the largest fur farm in Minnesota. The cause of the fire is unknown, but was speculated to be “accidental”.

This story will be updated as more information comes in.

Jailed animal rights activist goes on hunger strike in Illinois

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Update, November 1st: After 8 days without food, the book ban was lifted and Kevin ended his hunger strike.

Kevin Olliff is on hunger strike until the Woodford County Jail book ban is reversed.

Background: Tyler Lang and Kevin Olliff are two Los Angeles animal rights activists who were arrested in rural Illinois for “possession of burglary tools.” After a traffic stop in which they refused consent to a police search, their car was searched anyway. Inside, police allege they found bolt cutters, wire cutters, muriatic acid, ski masks, and cammo clothing.

Police believe these items were “burglary tools” intended to be used in a crime, and arrested Kevin and Tyler. The two are held on felony charges which carry up to 3 years in prison. They have remained in jail since their arrest on August 14th.

From Support Kevin and Tyler (.com)

“It has been over 6 weeks since Michael Waterworth banned all books from entering the Woodford County Jail. The psychological toll of life in a cell without any way to pass the time has been nearly insufferable, as they are forced to waste away without even the most basic form of mental stimulation.

Today Kevin announced that he is prepared to go without food until the book ban is lifted. The hunger strike is effective as of midnight, Wednesday night.

What you can do

Continue to call Michael Waterworth and the jail repeatedly, this time with the added word of caution that they will soon have a sick and dying prisoner if they do not undo the ban. Kevin is prepared to go the distance and not eat until the jail allows prisoners access to books.

• Jail: 309-467-2116
• Sheriff Pierceall: 309-467-2375

Why did the jail ban books?

The ban was instituted hours after Tyler & Kevin’s book wish list was posted online. The book ban was not the result of any rule violation or taken as a practical measure, and appears to be purely punitive in response to the attention Kevin & Tyler have received.

The jail’s only attempt at an explanation has been to say the jail library is full. This transparent attempt to distract from the issue does not even address the book ban, in which books are no longer allowed to be mailed in directly to prisoners. The capacity of the library is not at issue.

How lawless is Michale Waterworth and his jail?

• They have banned books.
• They admit they read attorney-client privileged mail between prisoners and their lawyers.
• They steal outgoing mail which documents prisoner abuse.
• They lie to the media and concerned people who call the jail.

Who is responsible?

A proud law man (who does not respect the actual law) named Michael Waterworth is solely responsible for implementing the draconian ban on books. He is also responsible for allowing guards to read attorney-client privileged mail, and all other abuses taking place. He lied to Tyler & Kevin that he would undo the book ban if they were patient, placating them long enough for the media attention to die down, at which point he reneged on his promise.

Addressing Michael Waterworth’s lies, preemptively.

Please note Michael Waterworth is telling the media and others that the prisoners have access to a library of books. This is 100% false and has been confirmed repeatedly by Tyler & Kevin over the past 6 weeks.

Some jail staff have stated that they do not read and don’t understand why prisoners would want books. The jailers being openly illiterate goes a long way towards explaining why a jail would deny prisoners books, and the culture of ignorance Tyler & Kevin are now at the mercy of.

Please continue to call the jail and the media

It is crucial we continue to put a spotlight on the out of control Woodford County Jail. Demand Kevin, Tyler, and all prisoners are allowed access to books, and that the community in Woodford County is aware of the stain on them

• Jail: 309-467-2116
• Sheriff Pierceall: 309-467-2375

Write Kevin and let him know he is supported during this hunger strike

While Kevin is on hunger strike and enduring this difficult struggle to reclaim a basic right, please send him letters of support.

And please include in every letter internet printouts of interesting articles or other material he can read (they can receive reading material printed off the internet).

(And don’t forget about Tyler).

Note Kevin’s legal name is Kevin Johnson.

Kevin Johnson #4565
Woodford County Jail
111 E Court St.
Eureka, IL 61530

Tyler Lang #4564
Woodford County Jail
111 E Court St.
Eureka, IL 61530″

Threat to sue this site over fur farm photos

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For the second time, the fur industry threatens a lawsuit against Animal Liberation Frontline.

Earlier this month, Animal Liberation Frontline posted photos taken by a fur farmer inside the Masog mink farm in Lebanon, Oregon. This was followed up shortly by a threat of a lawsuit, which I am posting below.

This threat is more direct, but similar to one made against this site in 2011. In that instance, the Fur Commission sent a bulletin to fur farmers nationwide announcing they were seeking legal action against Animal Liberation Frontline for posting news of the death of a fur farmer weeks after his farm was raided.

As for this latest threat, we would encourage the author (“mink farmer’s daughter”) to read Facebook’s terms of service thoroughly before making feeble legal threats.

“MinkFarmersDaughter
brooksandwilliams@outlook.com
IP address 64.130.203.211

As a violation of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, (http://www.copyright.gov/onlinesp/ ) You are in direct violation of copyright infringement to the owner of these photos. As a representative of this company and organization, I will ask you to cease and desist using any and all of these photos immediately. Having the originated photos in our immediate care, I have undeniable proof that these were obtained illegally by your cooperation and then published without consent. If you do not wish to have further charges pressed against you, you must immediately remove the photos from your website. This is your first warning. Failure to do so will result in further action. Shame on you for posting pictures from a Facebook page and then saying they were ‘leaked’ into your possession, Peter Young. You obviously view your agenda above the law.”

We would also invite Paul Durkop, owner of a fox farm in Lost Nation, Iowa, to join in this lawsuit. He recently used Facebook to post this photo of a fox imprisoned inside his farm:

And here are the photos from inside the Masog mink farm that prompted this threat:

Blood-stained pants of fur farmer.

Hunt for suspicious car in massive fur farm campaign

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New Fur Commission bulletin declares hunt for suspicious vehicle.

In a bulletin issued yesterday, the Fur Commission USA claims to have identified a vehicle of interest in the recent wave of mink releases. I have redacted all identifying information from the bulletin, which is posted below.

The bulletin does not identify why the car is considered to be of interest, but does give the license plate number, make and model of the car, and the genders of its occupants. The car was last seen in Glasgow Montana, and “may be headed west.”

After Frontline post, Fur Commission increases reward.

Also of note, within hours of an article on this site which pointed out that the Fur Commission’s reward for captured fur farm raiders has dropped 95% since 2008, they came back and announced that the reward has been raised.

Fur industry getting desperate

As a symptom of just how scared the industry is over the surge in animal liberations, the Fur Commission attempted to post their reward offer on anarchist and Indymedia sites; presumably to bait an audience they believe might have information about the releases. Again, a feeble gesture given ALF protocol (and that of all wise criminals) that no one not directly involved in an action should know about the action.

The bulletin

“Fur Commission USA
FCUSA Security Alert – Reward increased, more…

October 11, 2013

Fur Commission USA has increased the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible in the recent farm raids. We are now offering, with generous support from American Legend and NAFA, an award of up to $50,000. A hotline is in place at [redacted] and is monitored hourly.

New information that we have obtained permission to release, has identified the “[redacted] of interest” as a [redacted], with a back window sticker that says “[redacted]”. The license plate is [redacted]. It was last seen in Glasgow MT yesterday and may be heading west. Border agents have been alerted, as have US and CAN law enforcement officers. The suspects are [redacted]. If anyone sees this vehicle call your local Sheriff’s or Constable’s office and the FBI/RCMP immediately.

Distributed by,
Michael Whelan
Fur Commission USA
541-595-8568″

Minnesota fur farm burns to the ground

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Massive fire destroys main building at Detroit Lakes fur farm, fire called accidental.

Main building at Sonnenberg Mink Farm goes up in flames.

Days after activists released 450 mink from a fur farm across the state, the main building at a large Minnesota fur farm has gone up in flames. The daytime fire is being called “accidental,” and early speculation is that it may have been caused by a spark from an incinerator.

With 50,000 mink, the Sonnenberg Mink Farm is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, mink farms in the state. Detroit Lakes is home to at least five mink farms, with the empty remains of several closed farms also scattered across town.

The building destroyed was said to house all mink feed and equipment used on the farm.

Three fur industry targets suffer recent accidental fires

The fur industry has seen a suspicious number of accidental fires in the past two years. In December 2011, what may be the largest fur farm feed supplier in the country went up in flames. The Utah Fur Breeder’s Agricultural Cooperative’s main plant caught fire from a welder’s torch, and was a total loss.

And in May 2012, an empty mink shed at Lion Farms in Nottingham, Indiana was destroyed by a fire that was called accidental.

What remains of the main building at the Sonnenberg Mink Farm will have to be torn down and rebuilt from scratch.

View news coverage of the fire here:

Valley News Live – KVLY/KXJB – Fargo/Grand Forks

Fur industry reward for ALF capture plummets by 95%

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As fur farm raids surge, the Fur Commission’s reward for the ALF drops from $100,000 to $5,000.

Update: Hours after this was posted, the Fur Commission announced the reward had been raised. The current reward is still nowhere in range of the $100,000 amount of just five years ago.

The Fur Commission’s announcement of their new bounty on fur farm raiders fell a little flat this week with the punchline: The reward is only $5,000.

In the 1990s, when myself and many others were targeting fur farms, the price on our heads was $100,000. This amount was put up by fur farmers and related companies nationwide, and was a hefty reward for any crime, especially one that amounted to little more than cut fences and opened cages. The reward terms stated that anyone who provided information that led to the arrest of a person involved in a mink or fox release would be paid $100,000.

Headline from 2008

The $100,000 reward remained as late as 2008. Yet as fur farm rescues became less and less frequent, the reward seemed to vanish – or at least wasn’t publicized.

This week, the Fur Commission announced their “ALF bounty” was back, with a minor adjustment: The amount has plummeted by 95%. It now stands at a mere $5,000.

Headline from 2013

While the Fur Commission USA is stating publicly their new priority is “farm security,” this new bounty makes quite the opposite statement – and does so in a very public way. One would think that the group tasked with protecting its members would incentivize  informants with something a little more substantial.

One would also think that as raids surged, such a reward would increase, not go down by 95%. What’s the message here?

Good news for aspiring informants: You can now permanently trade in your dignity for something that will buy you a 10-year old used car.

Rebecca Rubin pleads guilty to freeing horses and setting fires at wild horse corrals

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ALF prisoner expected to serve 5 to 7.5 years for freeing horses, setting fires at two government facilities.

Earlier this year, Rebecca Rubin turned herself in after 7 years on the run. She was wanted for Animal Liberation Front and Earth Liberation Front arsons as part of what was dubbed the “Green Scare case”, in which 13 people were charged with nearly 20 fires.

This week, Rebecca Rubin plead guilty to participating in and/or planning four arsons:

• 1997: Freeing 400 wild horses and setting fire to a U.S. Bureau of Land management corral in Burns, Oregon. (Claimed by the Animal Liberation Front)
• 1998: Participating in the planning of a fire at a Vail ski resort in Colorado.
• 1998: Fire at the headquarters of U.S. Forest Industries in Medford, Oregon (claimed by the Earth Liberation Front)
• 2001: Freeing horses and setting fire to a BLM horse and burro corral at Litchfield, California. (Claimed by the Animal Liberation Front)

Rubin was a fugitive for 7 years. Reportedly, she was set to turn herself in as early as 2009, however prosecutors would not agree to any plea agreement that did not involve Rubin implicating her codefendants, which Rubin refused to do.

According to her plea agreement, the government will not ask the judge for a sentence longer than 7.5 years. Her sentencing is set for Jan. 27

Of the 13 charged, two remain fugitives: Joseph Dibee and Josephine Sunshine Overaker.

Photos from inside NAFA, recent ALF target in Wisconsin

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After the ALF targets the home of an executive, rare photos give a glimpse inside North American Fur Auctions.

In August, the Animal Liberation Front took credit for flooding the home of Brian L. MacMillan, head of North American Fur Auctions (NAFA)’s trapped animal division. Every year, NAFA sells the skins of millions of wild-trapped animals at its auction house in Toronto, Canada.

Animal Liberation Frontline has obtained several photos taken inside this auction, showing the skins of the trapped animals Brian MacMillan is responsible for bringing to market.

These photos were not intended to be seen publicly.

After viewing, there should be no question as to why Brian MacMillan was chosen as the target of the ALF’s first action against NAFA – one that will hopefully be the first of many until it vanishes from existence forever.

Minnesota mink release claimed by lone activist

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New claim of responsibility for the Grand Meadow, Minnesota mink release.

In a communique received today, “an individual working alone” took credit for releasing “at least” 250 mink (the farm puts the number at 450) from the Einar Myhre fur farm in Grand Meadow, Minnesota. It is the 9th US mink release in just over three months, as activists continue a massive fur farm campaign nationwide.

Working alone: the new model

Most notable about this release is that it was carried out by one person, acting alone. This is an emerging model, which has been seen in at least half a dozen significant actions in the past several years. Most recently, the September release of 20 mink in Utah was carried out by a single person.

It’s easy to see why increasingly, activists are choosing to carry out nightime raids alone. Finding solid, trustworthy, and willing people to carry out animal rescues is perhaps the greatest challenge of clandestine animal liberation activity.

Working alone also alleviates the threat of one person in the group informing on others, in the (rare) event of an arrest. The vast majority of substantial prison sentences in the US have been the result of an informant.

And the “working alone” model is particularly suited to mink releases, which do not require transporting animals off site, lookouts, or other roles that would necessitate additional participants.

While more participants would directly translate to more animals saved, we may increasingly see individuals weighing this benefit against the increased risk of informants, and the difficulty in finding trustworthy people to work with, and choosing to carry out rescue missions alone.

The communique

On October 7th, an individual working alone emptied a mink shed at the Myhre Mink Farm on Highway 16 in Grand Meadow, Minnesota. At least 250 fur-bearers ran to the lake directly behind the property. These animals needed very little help to freedom. As the cages were being unlatched, many of the individuals pawed it open themselves to make a dash. They are not domesticated and their spirits are not broken. Many of these mink screeched loudly at the sight of human hands, having only known the murderous hands of Einar Myhre. The only thing keeping these animals imprisoned is our own fear and a simple latch on a cage. A wild existence for them is only feet away. Make animal liberation a reality.

This is the ninth U.S. fur farm raid of the year. This level of activity has not been seen for nearly twenty years.

To the fur farmers of the world, we have nothing to say to you. We offer only this prayer: The rest is secrets. Silence now. If night has
fallen, sleep well.

450 mink released in Minnesota, wave of fur farm raids continues

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Unprecedented wave of mink liberations continues with a fur farm hit in Grand Meadow, Minnesota.

In what is now the 9th fur farm raid in just over three months, nearly 500 mink were set free from a small mink farm in Grand Meadow, Minnesota. Details are sparse, but sometime Sunday night approximately half of the farm’s reported stock of 1,000 mink were set free.

The fur farm targeted was:

Myhre Mink Ranch
75562 State Highway 16
Grand Meadow, MN 55936
Phone: (507) 754-5334
Owner: Einar Myhre

Farms being raided across the country

The US fur farming industry is under a total siege right now, with farms being raided across the country.

Friday night, 2,000 mink were set free from Bonlander Furs in New Holstein, Wisconsin. In the weeks prior, additional animals have been set free from fur farms in Idaho, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Montana, and Utah.

Most raids not claimed by the Animal Liberation Front

The Animal Liberation Front has take credit for three of the actions, while the rest have gone either unclaimed, or were claimed without naming a group affiliation.

Farms that existed in secret now being targeted

Farms that have operated in secret for sometimes decades are being raided in these latest overnight actions. Seven of the nine farms in this surge have had their addresses made public only in the past two years.

Multiple groups at work

In the past fur industry spokespersons have attempted to downplay raids happening in quick succession by claiming they were the work of a single group on an “eco-terrorist road trip.” They will have a hard time conforming that story to what we’re seeing now: mink releases happening across the country, with a geographical range that would make it extremely unlikely this is the work of a single cell.

Fur industry fails to secure its farms

While the Fur Commission USA has shifted its focus from public relations to “farm security,” it has totally failed at this task. Week after week, the Animal Liberation Front has entered farms, released animals, and gotten out without a single arrest this summer.

The most exciting ALF offensive in many years is underway. With pelting season still two months away, this campaign may not even be close to finished.